Senate Banking & Insurance Committee: April 23 Recap

The Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee met on Monday, April 23, in what was likely its final meeting of the 2007 Legislative Session and briefly discussed four bills relating to insurance:

 

S2858 GENERAL BILL/CS/CS by Banking and Insurance; Health Regulation; Lynn (Similar CS/H 1485) Chiropractic Medicine [SPCC]

On the Web: http://www.flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&Year=2007&billnum=2858

 

S846 GENERAL BILL/CS/CS by Banking and Insurance; Transportation; Jones (Compare H 0265, CS/CS/H 0359, S 0984) Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility [EPCC]

On the Web: http://www.flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&Year=2007&billnum=846

 

S1834 GENERAL BILL/CS by Banking and Insurance; Jones (Compare CS/H 0291) Optional Coverage for Health-related Disorders [EPCC]

On the Web: http://www.flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&Year=2007&billnum=1834

 

S1660 GENERAL BILL by Peaden (Similar H 1547) Insurance/Medical Malpractice [EPCC]

On the Web: http://www.flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&Year=2007&billnum=1660

 

The first three of the four bills passed the Committee with minimal change, but SB 1660, the fourth, and most controversial, was temporarily postponed.

At this late stage in the legislative process, the three bills that passed remain in play, but are far behind many other legislative measures.

The first of the three bills was CS/CS/SB 2858 by Senator Lynn (R – Daytona Beach), which would revise current law in order to allow a student chiropractor, in his or her final year of an accredited chiropractic school or college, to apply for licensure and take all of the required examinations for licensure. The bill also restricts the indirect supervision of a certified chiropractic physician’s assistant in certain ways but allows any certified chiropractic physician’s assistant who is certified by the Board of Chiropractic Medicine to perform services at a licensed clinic under the direct supervision of the chiropractic physician to whom the assistant is assigned. Further, the bill prohibits any person other than a sole proprietorship, group practice, partnership, or corporation that is wholly-owned by one or more chiropractic physicians, or chiropractic physicians and their relatives, from employing a chiropractic physician or engaging a chiropractic physician as an independent contractor to provide chiropractic services, with certain exceptions. A copy of the committee substitute is attached.

The second bill discussed, SB 846 by Senator Jones (R – Seminole) requires persons convicted of DUI to maintain Bodily Injury insurance at a $100,000/$300,000 limit for a certain amount of time. A copy of the bill is attached.

CS/SB 1834 by Senator Jones would institute mandatory healthcare coverage for mental and nervous disorders. This bill was hotly debated but ultimately passed the Committee. Attached is a copy of the bill.

The final bill, SB 1660 by Senator Peadon (R – Crestview) would have required a revised presumed factor study for medical malpractice insurance. Due to much debate and negative commentary, this bill was temporarily postponed.

 

Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact this office.